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1.6 16v SXi 5dr

My car

We have a 1.6 Sxi as a second car and pretty good really, nothing exciting and a bit lifeless under the bonnet but decent all the same.

The reason why i'm leaving a review is to alert people to what Brandish's in Coventry are like.

They returned the car to us with test equipment still attached to the car. Not only that, it was placed on a petrol soaked rag (because the guage was leaking) and it was right near to the heat shield!! It's a good job that we didn't use the car when it would start (which is also a really annoying common problem) because if we had then who knows what might have happened.

1.4 16v Club 5dr

Krzysztof Baranski
Date:
05/09/2008

Overall verdict

4
out of 5 stars

What's it like to drive

4
out of 5 stars

Running costs

4
out of 5 stars

Quality, practicality and equipment

4
out of 5 stars

My car

If you look for a comfortable car, Astra is a good choice.
I bought second hand Astra (25000 miles). I have driven 2000 miles during 2 months.Good points of this car are:
- a lot of space for driver and passangers
- good visibility from the driver position
- boot is big ( there is no problem to pack a lot of luggage)
- petrol consumption is close to manufacture data.
- car is not loud during fast driving

There are two things, wich stops me to give 5 stars for this car. One of them is engine power. 1.4 liter seems a weak engine for this car. In mountains or if you have additional passengers, the lack of power. Secondly, in Hatchback version, the back seat can't be folded to full horizontal position.

1.8 VVT SRi 5dr

robert Webster
Date:
26/08/2008

Overall verdict

5
out of 5 stars

What's it like to drive

5
out of 5 stars

Running costs

4
out of 5 stars

Quality, practicality and equipment

4
out of 5 stars

My car

Recently bought an 07 SRI VVT for 7.5k!!And I absoloutley love it !!
Great looks especially with the 17'' wheels, it's built well, excellent cabin - the audio steering wheel controls are great, excellent sound system (CD30 mp3 with 7 speakers), the engine is a very good one indeed and enjoys being revved. It's fast and handles superbly. The gearbox is excellent and very smooth. As it is an SRI the ride is a little firm (to be expected)but is smooth all the same. The 'SPORT' button is excellent and really does make a difference - those who say it doesn't plainly do not know what they are talking about!! It stiffens the dampers, weights the steering to give a bit better feel for when you give it the beans and quickens the throttle response - the car is a different animal with this switched on, which is excellent for when you want to have some fun, then you can turn it off for a steadier calmer drive.

I test drove a 1.6(115)57 plate Focus when looking to buy a new car and the Astra is far better inside and out. The Focus couldn't live with the performance of the Astra (neither can the 1.8 Focus) or for the overall value for money of the Astra. The cabin is far better in the Astra. The only slight negative on the Astra is the fuel economy - everywhere says 38/39mpg combined and i'm only getting about 33/34ish and i've not even pushed it yet. Overall though it's a great car and I can't reccomend it highly enough !! Well done Vauxhall

1.6 16v SXi 5dr

James Hunter
,
South Glos
.
Date:
22/08/2008

Overall verdict

5
out of 5 stars

What's it like to drive

5
out of 5 stars

Running costs

5
out of 5 stars

Quality, practicality and equipment

3
out of 5 stars

Average MPG

35

My car

I have had this car for about 6 months now and love it. It's pretty basic inside and the stereo is very average but, taking into account the cost of the car, the drive is fantastic. It's handling and grip very good. I've thrown it into many a corner at speed and found very little understeer and body roll. It struggles a little bit up hills or with the wife and kids in it but considering it's only 105bhp I can't fault it one bit.
The looks are good too. The Chrome Exhaust pipe, Y shaped alloys and front fogs make it look the business.
Running costs have been good too. Fuel economy is excellent (considering the type of driving I do), tax is cheap and insurance is very reasonable.
I do have 2 main gripes
(i)The Main Dealers - Don't bother. It would take too long to go into what a complete bunch of muppets they are.
(ii)The seating fabric. Although the seats are structurally sound, the pattern has frayed at the edges and makes it look tatty. Vauxhall could do with reviewing the robustness of this particular pattern. I saw this as a design fault (rather than wear and tear) but the main dealer was less than sympathetic.
I test drove quite a few cars before buying this. The Focus is underpowered, the Golf and Civic are overpriced and I will never buy a french car that is past it's warranty ever again! Overall this car represents great value for money and recommend it over ANY of its competitors.